A Vampire by Email
by Strekoza
Summary: A story of a girl meeting a vampire on internet, who's breaking Nigh world rules.
1. The web page

This story has my own characters and it's own setting. But the main thing stays the same: the struggle between humans and night world. I hope it would be OK and you would appreciate it and write to me if any improvements are needed.

**A VAMPIRE BY E-MAIL**

**Chapter One**

On the late afternoon evening, with sunshine spreading on the horizon, Susan was walking home after a tiresome lesson of badminton. She was the best her school had so it required a lot of practice to appear in single and double matches. She actually didn't find a partner for doubles yet. Last year she played with Emma, but that girl couldn't move or what? It took all her skill and patience to lead them both to a second place. Not much people were interested in badminton and surely not much was able to play. But in that moment she had other things to think of and she was looking forward at getting quickly home and logged onto her computer and searching that only letter she wanted to read.

A few weeks ago she wasn't anything near into superstition, but everything changed now and would stay that way, as long as she would have her own vampire by e-mail. She still remembers clearly that day when her friend said about creation of this cool website, she didn't want to look but her friend insisted that she should and asked to be told how was it. Her two, unlike friends Amy and Holy were different as anything in the world. Holy who asked her to look on that website always dressed in black and was reading all kind of weird stuff, she was all into mysteries of vampires, aliens, witches and all kind of nonsense. Amy was Japanese born in England and interested in fashion, most her talks were of clothes or boys in that order. Susan looked after how she dressed, but not as much as Amy. Unlike her friends with dark long hair and mysterious brown eyes, Susan was petit with blond hair and grey eyes. Most people though of her as plain and that's why she didn't belong to any of the girl categories of her school: "dolls" – the ones who dressed perfectly, put on makeup and were first asked for dances (as you guessed Amy is one of them); "brains" – a rear group of extra clever girls, who won competitions; "rocks" – the ones who liked rock music or plainly dressed in black (to what Holy belonged cheerfully); " rubbish" – the ones who didn't look nice or not a favourite of more popular categories. Her friends didn't want her to classify to the last group, so she stayed as plain Suzy, her friends knew that was untrue as they could see that at her sport matches (apart from badminton she played tennis, basketball, football, netball, volleyball and other kind of sports that she could get into at school, including swimming, running ext.) she was not only excited and looking brighter, but also as someone special from another world – she found her purpose of life.

She was something special as at least the boy, who called himself Vampire Dark, said that. She still felt the excitement going onto that website brought her, it was something else entirely of normal web pages on vampires, that one was designed by one, someone bald enough to say that. There things on it too: stories by readers, titles of good books about vampires, names of films, pictures drawn by readers and artist and apart from that a life stories (what it said, but not what Susan though). She found the comments box and wrote her message, "Dear Mr. Dark, I'm not really interested in vampires, but your website is great and appealing. I want to say if I believed in them I'd really would of fount it useful. You could include a Diary of your life (vampire one) yours sincerely wellwisher."


	2. Getting home

Thank you to the ones who wrote me reviews and suggested improvements I'll try hard to put them in action as quick as possible and although some will take longer than others I'll eventually will get there at the end. As I can't find a way to correct the first chapter, I'll keep on trying and would gladly accept help in telling what I should do. I hope at least this one is better and eventually I'll find someone to read my stories before putting them on, but for now…

Chapter Two 

It was such a though of a moment that she didn't think of it much. Not until she got a reply: "Dear a Well Wisher, I don't want to sound rude or anything, but I just wandered if you'd care to explain yourself. I think your idea is fantastic and the kind my website not only doesn't have, but also need. I have an old diary from my vampire life, but I haven't got a clue how to present it. I would ask you if you'd want to explain yourself in a more detailed way and also help me with organising it. Yours sincerely Vampire Dark." She didn't think that her message would have been read and surely not considered helpful. How come he asked her a girl plain enough not to be picked for any projects, although she was good in English and average in everything else needed, she didn't know; and she even didn't believe in vampires, which she pointed out to this person. So she decided to write him an e-mail that she's not good enough for this job and that her belief doesn't allow her to agree with him in asking for help in organising it. To which she got a reply of his regrets of her decision and that it was unfair to ask anyone else to help, as it was her idea; and he sent her the first entry of the diary in case she changed her mind. That's how it started. She read it out of curiosity and was eager to know more, so she agreed to help over the Internet to help him, she didn't want to meet this person who had such an imaginative twist in the wrong way.

By the time she reached the door of her house it was dark and she was trying to think of a way to explain to her parents of why she practically ran home, it was easy to tell by the time it took her to get there. But when she got inside, she found a note pined to the fridge saying that her parents went to a party and would be back after midnight and that she could eat anything she wanted. She looked inside the fridge, which was, typical of her parents, left empty. She went through each kitchen cabinet and finally gave up with only finding a bar of chocolate, she bough two days ago and didn't eat it leaving for a black day.

She then wrote a note to her mum saying that there's nothing to eat and that she'd go tomorrow shopping and if her mum needs anything she has to write a note. Which was one of things that always happened to her family: parents went to work earlier than she got up and nearly always were somewhere rather than at home in the evenings. She rarely saw them at weekends and the main way of communication was by leaving notes on a fridge.

She switched on the computer and waited it to load on& She then got her e-mail box open and looked for that only message she wanted. There was quite a lot of them to go through, ones from her cousins, friends, aunts and others from producers asking her if she'd want to star in a advertisement of sports wear or some kind of bad film, where after running and killing yourself with a whole day of sports they then cut the face out and paste one of a supermodel or a film star. She finally found the one she was looking for: "Dear a Well Wisher, when will I know your name or how you look. I'm sorry to hear that you still don't believe in vampires. The next entry of my writing is in an attachment, like always. Write soon and call me just like I asked Vampire. If you wish you could sent me back the entry by normal post, to the club, look through the website, well it's a way of sending me a photograph of yourself as well if your not scared. Yours faithfully Vampire."

Susan pressed the attachment button to open it…


	3. The attachment

**Chapter Three**

She opened the attachment...

Dear Diary, today I met Kate again and I'll tell you what it cost me in the ending...

Ring, Ring, Ring, - went the telephone somewhere downstairs. Susan got up to get it , maybe it was her parents.

It took her another five rings to get downstairs for the telephone and let it ring another two times before she answered.

"Susan, well done finally it is more than three."

"Is it you Holy?"

"Who else might it be, anyway I'm proud of you." the girl on the other end sounded as if she meant it.

"Great the only thing I need," she climbed the stairs up to her room and sat back at the computer. "So why did you call me?"

"Like you don't know." and after a short pause as Susan wasn't saying anything continued. "Has he wrote?"

"Oh yeah, I just started reading it."

"Great, what's in it?" She meant for Susan to tell her what is the next entry would be like before it appears. To tell the truth, Holy was the person who actually went through the attachments for Susan to send it. "Does Kate choose him or Leopold? How does it go?"

"Wait a bit and I'll print it out for you to read tomorrow," with which Susan sent it to the printer.

"You know I can't wait that long tell me it in a shorter version if you must, but just tell me!" Holy was anxious and Susan had the only thing left to do.

" Well in my words and without long description - which we both hate - he goes to see her, they have a long talk, suddenly Leopold arrives. Then comes an unexpected and the best bit: she chooses Leopold and our Mr. Dark has nothing to do, but to kill them both."

"Now I can't wait to know with his long description and in his words, you can't anything apart the matches in an interesting way."

"Thank you for your kindness, if you wish to know exact words come here this instant, my parents aren't in." they lived a block away from each other, not like Amy. Amy lived on the other side of town, where only the posh people had the chance to buy the enormous houses.

"Yes yours might never be in, but mine will never let me go. I mean we're playing scrabble for goodness sake, their favourite game. Send me it as a fax, it might help me win."

"And how are being able to speak now?"

"I'm getting the popcorn ready, so will you?"

"Yeah sure, in ten minutes time."

"Can't wait. Oh, I nearly forgot, there's this club "Dark magic", I found on his website, I'd like to go tomorrow and I'm asking for you to come with me."

"What about Amy?"

"Already asked, her aunt comes for a visit and she has to prepare a traditional supper. So as you are my other best friend, you must come."

"Do I have to?"

" Or I won't talk to you again."

"Then I'll come."

"Bye." Susan also said her goodbyes and they rang off.

"Anything else?" Susan was doing the shopping she has promised, in the little and only food store her mum approved, the older woman behind the counter was someone new as it was the first time Susan saw.

"Can I have that sports magazine, please," although it was a food store other everyday things could be found in it as well.

After paying the bill Susan said a nice thank you to the lady and wishes of her best hopes as to the new job the other got.

Susan then got home, no one was there as usual. She opened the magazine she bough on the sixth page and cut out a picture, wrote a note and put it all in an envelope she found in a drawer. She then started to get ready for her night out wit Holy.

At seven o'clock Susan was waiting for her friend outside the club doors. She was feeling awful seeing all the glamorous girls who went inside there. With her plain look and also plain clothes: black trousers and a white blouse.

"Here you are, let's get inside," Holy appeared from nowhere…


	4. Dark magic

Dear readers, I hope you'll like this chapter...

**Chapter Four**

"Here you are, let's get inside," Holy appeared from nowhere…

"Hi, em maybe you want to go better home, play scrabble, this club is weird and

I'm not really dressed as people supposed to? I think."

"No, don't worry you'll look fine. Come on then inside, I'm freezing," and not

surprising as Susan's friend was dressed not by the weather. She had black, high heel shoes, a short black dress and a leaver jacket, also black. A clip on top of her head held her black hair in a knot. Susan noticed that Holy put in her gold hoop earrings.

"If we'll see the manager first."

"Why?"

They went inside, Susan felt even more out of place unlike her friend, who was

enjoying every second there. It was Holy who talked to each person she saw,

asking where to find the manager of the club. The club itself wasn't anything

special, just a place underground, but the atmosphere was enormous: the low

music brought a heart beatings without a stop; spooky light effects, which made

some of the dance floor, band stage and the bar stand light up, but tables and

some other spots dim, it came to effect of dark corners with no light at all.

The room was large enough to contain sixty people and it was designed in a

suitable way for a purpose of a nightclub.

A barman pointed at the back door, labelled 'keep out', as an answer to Holy's

question. Without hesitation they both, Susan and Holy, went to the door and

stepped inside. After walking down the corridor they found a door labelled "the

manager and the owner of 'Dark magic' Club". Holy put her hand forward,

indicating that Susan was on her own now.

Susan, feeling her heart in her throat, knocked on the door.

"Com' in." came a reply from it.

Susan opened the door and stepped inside, with Holy close behind. Susan hoped to be her friend at that moment, as Holy wouldn't be afraid and would go along and do it in her place.

"How can I help?" asked a good-looking teenager with fair hair and blue eyes. He was sitting in a high chair behind an oak desk. Dressed in a business suit and… he looked bored.

"Excuse me, are you a manager. If you are can you please pass this letter to someone called Mr Dark please, it's from a friend of mine."

"I am the manager and the owner of the club and Mr Dark is a dear friend of mine, so I'll pass it whenever I see him next."

"Oh thank you so much." Susan wanted to leave at that moment, but Holy being curious as always started asking her never ending questions.

"Are you really a friend of Vampire Dark?"

"Yeah, it was actually his idea of starting a club and probably you soon wouldn't be able to read his sites." he said in a lazy manner.

"WHY!"

"I'm going to murder him the next time I see him. You know it's so frustrating to run a club. My mum keeps saying 'I told you' and kind of the phone rings all the time with important and unimportant messages."

"You're joking?" Holy asked, Susan made lame excuses and quietly left, seeing her friend being interested in the boy and deciding to leave them alone.

"Not really, it is hard to run this thing and I'll probably kill Dark, but that's not the real reason. You know the site is quite something and there has been complaints of it being a propaganda, making kids chose dark side - drugs, smoking, rock, alcohol, dressing in black and all that." Holy felt uncomfortable, his description fell close to herself, it was easy getting started but quitting proved harder. She quitted drugs, thanks to the fact that she nearly fell into the lake once (under the impact of them), she didn't drink much anymore and nearly quitted smoking. The boy continued with his speech, "So these people are saying he'll have to do something or the site would be banned."

"That sounds unfair, loads of people get bad influences from streets and friends, not from a fan site."

"Do you always dress in black or just today?" he gave her a question she didn't expect.

"Mostly always, but if you're saying it's the website I was like this before I found it."

At that moment the phone rang, the boy picked it up saying: 'wait a minute' for Holy.

"Club 'Dark magic' how can I help you?" he then waited, hitting the table lightly with finger tips, as someone spoke at the other end of receiver, "Can you hold on a minute," he pressed the buttons on the phone putting that person on hold and dialling a different number.

He smiled to Holy and mouthed for her to sit down noticing that he forgot to do that earlier. Finally the phone on the other end was picked up, "Ruth dear, there are some stock suppliers on the other end I'll connect them to you," Holy heard this Ruth swearing in a loud voice, as the boy connected both numbers. He put the receiver down.

"Finally."

"She wasn't very happy," said Holy.

"No wander, Ruth is in charge of our food stock, and all the mail that gets here. Suppliers sent the wrong order and now charging the money, so like I say I'm fed up with it. I blamed her for ordering the wrong things. And now she has to sort it out or I'll take the money the stock cost out of her payment."

"That isn't fair."

"I know, but the mistake is easily corrected and I just don't want to correct it. Anyway where were we… Oh by the way I haven't introduced myself, I'm Nick Red. So how did you came to dressing in black and interested in such rubbish as vampires?"

"I'm Holy. When I was fourteen everybody was into superstitious stuff, but the craze ended a year later, well I was one of the rear ones who kept it up. So what is your friend going to do?" to which Nick laughed.

"He is going to put info about witches, werewolves, shape shifters and to make parents happy fairies, unicorns and all sweet little fairy tale creatures."

"Oh wow, that would be even better."

"Not for Dark, he is only interested in vampires, kind of selfishness. So would you like me to buy you a drink?"…

"So what were you doing so long," Susan asked as her friend finally appeared.

"Talking. He said he'd be out in a minute to buy me a drink and show around. Have you met anyone yet?"

"No and probably wouldn't." Susan wasn't comfortable with this place, it somehow gave her a feeling of danger. There was a lot of perfect people. Beautiful girls in dramatic outfits, cool boys in leather jackets, it just felt so creepy being the only plain one; it made her feel like she was the only real one here, and all of them were a film illusions, they obtain - perfect.

"Would you like to dance with me?"

Susan looked up into a handsome face of a gorgeous boy, who surprisingly asked her for a dance. She was just opening her mouth to refuse, when Holy answered for her, "Sure she will, if you won't stand on her feet that is - she hates that."

"I'll try," he took Susan's hand, who gave her friend _I'll kill you look_, and followed him.

The boy put his arms around her, so she had to put hers on his shoulders. He smiled looking straight in her eyes, it made her blood freeze.

"You don't look as if you go to such places a lot." he stated.

"I don't, I'm here with a friend."

"That girl back there. Tell her my thanks." he pulled her closer towards him.

"For what?" she felt embarrassed, she didn't much care for boys and never went dating.

"Well if she hadn't answered for you, I'm sure you would of refused me a dance," it brought a blush to her cheeks. He had deep sharp brown eyes, dark hair and pale skin, Susan couldn't take her eyes of him…


	5. A kiss

I typed this chapter short, not for the lack of subject, but because of it being not long; and for wanting of not to bring another one. Review if you like it or not...

**Chapter Five **

They kept on dancing, swaying on floor, her eyes held by his. There was some music in the background, playing with a low beat. It arose her heart beat and prickled her skin . She took deep breaths instead of narrow, her eyes were in his.

"You dance well, where did you learn to?"

"When I was ten my parents made me take dancing lessons, as a way to get rid of me. Afterwards I quitted, but that's how I got to understand them, now I'm signed for every sport club possible and they don't even mind."

"For girls?" his eyes not for a second left her face, they were centimetres apart.

"What?" her voice came out in a whisper.

"Clubs."

"Not only, there's badminton. It is a single game and teachers never manage to get enough enthusiasts to do it separate. There is always loads who want to play tennis, but not much comes along for badminton."

"Really?" it wasn't a question, just amassment. They were close enough for him to smell the faint odour of her shampoo. "Then I'm going to try it. You go to Hillford?" it was her school, but it didn't surprise her, as he said it she remembered seeing him around once or twice.

"As do you." she whispered with a smile.

"Only for a week, I'm kind of new around here." he didn't ask her how she knew.

The music stopped, she knew it by other couples not dancing anymore.

"I guess I'm going to see you around." he said softly and lightly kissed her on her cheek. It was cool and somehow trigged her unconsciousness, leaving an imprint of his thoughts. It didn't sound crazy to her then, when she heard his voice in her head speaking what he did not dare say in reality - _I like you_, nor that he did not say his name.

He left, taking his feelings and thoughts with him, he didn't suspect that she'd felt them.


	6. Overhearing

Well, here I go - this is the next chapter. I hope you'll like it, although it's long. I would gladlly have someone check my stories, but as it is my mum and sister are worse in grammer, nor interested. My english teacher, surprisingly as she jokes of the length my stories are, wanted to have a look. But I'll have to wait till she finishes marking A- level coursework. So I hope it would be soon possible for her to pre-read them, that is if she likes the genre - she's not into vampires type.

**Chapter Six**

Nick Red stood in one of the dark corners with no light, against the wall. He was soon joined by Vampire Dark, they both looked at the dance floor, pairs were dancing.

"So?" asked Nick without enthusiasm.

"So what, I don't really get you most of the time." Nick didn't move a muscle, they were friends from childhood, but lately they were growing apart. He remembered being ten and exclaiming: 'my own vampire!' when they met and became friends they relationship had no boundaries and one would give up his life to save the other. But everything changed…

Dark like always knew what his friend was meaning, but as time changes he knew they friendship wasn't enough for them to face night world differences. "Tell you what, I'll make you in charge of the adding stuff."

"Like I though, I can get Ruth to help you with correspondence and putting it on web, but you have to pay her yourself; or if someone will make a mistake I'll make them do extra work for you."

"Great."

"Oh, there's a letter for you from one girl's friend who asked to pass it on."

"Why then didn't Ruth give me it."

"The girl just brought it. Here…" Nick gave it to him.

Dark opened the envelope, about in a minute a smile spread on his face.

"From who is it?"

"You remember I told you about someone named 'well-wisher', well that's her," he passed the paper to Nick, who stared at the magazine page.

"Her? It's some kind of a model."

"It says that the picture is of her, but the face is pasted."

"Then you can't do anything," Nick outlined, but he stopped when he saw a grin on his friend's face telling him otherwise.

"I'll find her you don't worry of that. It's too enticing not to."

"Well you better be careful, don't let her find out about night world or you'll be in even more trouble. You think you'll only get a comment from humans. You're wrong, sooner or later night people will find that the thing you're putting on web isn't just someone's fan web page, but a real thing."

"They can't find me out."

"Oh yes they can, the advertisement for my club is somewhere there, they just have to contact the property owner - my mum, she's clever, she'll figure out who they are searching for."

Dark face shown worry only for five seconds, then it turned into a danger one. "I told you not to brake night world rules." continued Nick.

"You know that I changed, I don't follow they rules anymore. I believe that we can live with humans knowing of our existence and even being quite friendly with some."

"Join the circle Daybrake if you must."

"No! I don't believe in being equal to them, but I want them to know of our existence to be afraid and respective." Dark's eyes were shining with a spark known to people of great ideas.

Later on Nick joined Susan and Holy and bought them the drinks he promised. He and Holy danced a few dances, in which with compliments to how she looks not a good dancer as Susan, after which they exchanged phone numbers.

While they danced, Susan went exploring the club (only in the allowed areas, how sweet Nick was, she wasn't going to push her luck). Near the music stands she found a narrow corridor and out of curiosity as much as having nothing to do, slow music wasn't good for dancing alone and there was no way she was going to ask the boy who danced with her earlier.

She went through the corridor, it was narrow and dark, when she reached the ending she saw two doors, one saying ' band rest room' with no entrance sign next to it and the other saying exit.

Susan turned to go, but then she heard a voice in her head, not the boys she danced with - she was sure of that. She tried to make it out - it actually was two voices having a conversation by minds - not that surprising to Susan. She was freaked out.

How do you expect us to find who it is? came one of them.

Think of something. He's braking night world main rules and I'm not going to let him. You're in the delivery service, find something out.

Vampire Dark, what kind of a name is that. One thing: the mail to him goes through Ruth personally… Susan's heartbeat quickened.

WAIT SOMEONE'S LISTENING the other screamed in her mind. She knew by now that the people talking where outside the club's exit door, they where moving, but as couldn't find her outside went quite.

Who are? the voice which shouted before whispered softly.

She didn't answer, instead she tried picturing herself being erased, experience which came from meditating, she hoped it would help.

Who are you? the voice came commanding. She could feel her erasing was helping. She was picturing the exit of their minds to get away…

NO! DON'T LEAVE! there was power behind his voice, it pulled her back, now only into his mind, the other left - it was dark.

Who are you? the voice was not surprised anymore, only determined and commanding. Susan had nothing to use against him in this battle, where she was the weak one.

Who are you? Where are you? Tell me, everything will be ok the voice sounded kind and she began to feel herself giving up.

Don't, she sounded weak in this other world of minds.

Just tell me, everything will be ok, she had to tell something and not lies, she somehow knew that it would be evident if she did.

My name is… she calmed herself down as she did before the matches, a Well Wisher. And it's time for me to go. she counted on his surprise of resistance, which she got, she imagined blowing a kiss and left.

As she saw the corridor coming back into view she ran back the way she came there, hoping no cameras were around…

Strekoza: P.S thak you for the reviews who wrote, hope this is interesting enough, with least spelling mistakes possible (fat chanse).


	7. Rick

Thanks for reviews. Anyway I think this chapter turned out a bit diffrently than I though, but I hope it's still enjoyable.

**Chapter Seven**

"Great, what a week!" exclaimed Susan's mum, when her daughter came home, "darling, you look ill, are you alright?"

"Yes, what's with a week?" Susan was feeling scared and tired, more than anything she wanted to tell her mother of what was happening to her, but her mum would not believe, and even worse if her mum would make Susan believe it was some trick of imagination. What then? Her mum was a photographer for a magazine and her dad was a clothes designer for the same magazine.

"Oh, I'm just tired of all the parties we went to that's all."

"Were you not supposed to be somewhere now?"

"Your dad went, but I chose to stay home - read a cheap romance novel. Do you want anything?" Susan shook her head - she never accepted food from her mum, who wasn't one for cooking healthy food. It always was that Susan was the one to cook for the family on the rare occasions of them being together.

Susan's mum seeing the look on her daughter's face said:" No dear, I'm not hungry. Oh, I nearly forgot on Friday we're going to a dinner. You're invited."

"I don't really want to come."

"But you must. They want to ask you to pose for the next cover of their magazine, with no pasted faces. It could be a break in your carrier and your fathers - they want to sign a contract."

"If it's after eight." they had another few minutes of a friendly mother to daughter talk, then Susan left for her room.

She switched on a computer, logged to the Internet, opened her mail box and ignoring the long list of unanswered e-mail, clicked onto 'compose a message'.

She wrote: "Dear Mr Vampire, I have no idea what your into, and don't want to know. What is 'night world rules'? And why are people searching for you Vampire Dark, the same that mentioned this night world - answer if you can, Well Wisher."

On Monday after school, Susan from nothing to do was surprisingly doing a history assignment. Only really weird students done their homework at school. She actually was supposed to be practising badminton that minute, but, and another but, it is hard to play badminton without a partner. The teacher said that they'll be alright practising without him for a week - he went for a holiday. And as there was no one recording the attendance, she was the only one there.

"Hi there, am I mistaking the room or something, I though you supposed to come here for badminton." someone said from the door.

"Oh, sorry it is…" Susan stopped when she saw that it was the boy she danced with, and he was silently laughing.

"Maybe it was a mistake to come - I never played badminton." he turned to go.

"Oh no you don't," he stopped surprised, " now you came here you'll do for a partner, probably better than a history assignment." with that she jumped up, throwing her assignment aside.

"Right, have you ever played tennis or badminton?" she asked at the same time as heading for the cupboard, "which rackets do you prefer - short or long?" she asked as choosing one for him.

"Long one, please. I never played either of them, but I seen how they play tennis on TV." he said simply, standing quite still.

"Do you think you will be able to play."

"Yeah, I'm a quick learner, just need to watch you for a while," he smiled a wicked smile.

Susan gave him a racket showing properly how to hold it, she could smell his aftershave. Then she went to the other side for her serve. She threw the shuttle into air and done an easy serve, the boy hit it straight away - the rally began.

He wasn't very good at the beginning, holding the racket the wrong way, hitting not at the right angle, but he improved, like he said he began to learn quickly. After a rally or two he started to win a few times. The problem for Susan was, it was like he wasn't getting tired, he could easily spot where the shuttle was heading and he was quick to get any serve - high or low, soft or hard.

They decided to play a game, Susan won it, but she had to have pretty hard hits, running from one side of the court to the other. After playing with him she got more tired than playing with any other champions in badminton competitions. They finished at a quarter to six.

"I think I haven't told you, my name is Susan." she said in between sharp breaths.

"Mine is Rick." he said less exhausted than she was, "never lost to a girl before." he explained.

"So?" she tried to calm her pulse down, "Will you come tomorrow?" the badminton match was coming up an that's why she mostly missed other practises to train especially for this.

"I don't think so," she heard an uncertainty in his voice, "how much I've enjoyed playing with you, but I'm no good. You'll need someone who can play better than me to train with."

" Great and I wanted to ask you to be my partner for the doubles," that surprised even Susan, she never talked too forward with boys.

"Am I that good?" he said with a mischievous smile, "or are you just trying to get more people interested in badminton."

"I'll stick with the second, don't think you play like that all the time - just one off?" she teased him, something she never done to a person, except her cousins, before. "Wrecking me to this state," she indicated with her hands on herself with a quick movement, she was all sweaty and a real wreck like she said, "you know, I even thought you had a talent, but I must be mistaking."

"You making me believe in myself." he said with admiration of this girl, who smelt of wild flowers and brought strange feeling to his heart.

"Well if you do begin to believe in yourself as I do, come tomorrow after school or I'll have to play against my history assignment." she smiled, all of a sudden she felt his mind again, but on a different level. At that moment she could feel his want to kiss her, just before he waved a goodbye and left.

Strekoza: And, this probably sounds weird on the seventh chapter of the story, but I'll just say it anyway: the names I use are totally thought up - the first, suitable that jumped to my mind, in case someone will think they are from real life.


	8. A Game

Hope, you'll like this chapter. And before you make conclusions Amy is not that bad in tennis, she's probablly had a bad day...

**Chapter Eight **

"Susan dear, you look splendid in you PE kit, like always," Amy was saying to Susan on the nice Tuesday morning.

"You too," Susan answered tying her trainers. Like always Amy made all the effort she could to look gorgeous - that morning her dark hair was curled, fine makeup on, she was taller than Susan and wore white shorts, which showed off her long legs, with a matching T-shirt, on her neck dangled a medallion with five pointed star. She smiled a comfortable smile, she would be fabulous for every boy to see. They were having a PE lesson, and that morning they were kind of playing against boys as well. Amy was never so happy for the rain to pour and leave teachers no choice but put boys with girls.

Amy took out a pink lipstick and a hand mirror from her bag. After a few minutes of gently putting it on she asked Susan: "Do you want to use it?"

"No way!" Susan answered horrified, she rarely used makeup and certainly not in school.

"Come on girls," shouted the teacher from the door to the changing room.

"Why is she always in a hurry," wondered Amy, Susan was already picking her racket up, she brought her own, in much better shape than the school's ones; like her friend she wore white shorts with a matching T-shirt, but she didn't make that glamorous impression as her friend always did, her hair was tied in a ponytail and her grey eyes were already shinning before the games, it was so much more exciting to play against boys, they hit harder and generally play better than most of the girls.

"You have that look again," said Amy.

"What look?"

"_Here I come and no one will stop me _look." to which Susan just smiled.

As both girls came in, they saw that all the courts were filled with already playing boys. Five out of six courts were filled with pairs playing single games. There was eleven boys, poor Rick was alone on the sixth court, and twelve girls in the sports hall, all the rest were either allowed in gym or a swimming pool, where Amy wanted to go to show off her new swimming suit, but changed her mind not wanting to leave Susan all by herself.

"When they finish their rallies two girls will join each court - I want to see how mixed pairs play," said the teacher in her usual monotonous way of speaking.

"Hey Susan, great seeing you," a gorgeous boy joined them, evidently he was late for the lesson and just changed, as he followed them in, "do you want to play me in the first set?" he asked, he was one of the other badminton players.

"Yeah, lets join Rick, then we'll have a four for doubles."

"Great!" the three of them went to the back of the room to join Rick.

"Good morning Susan."

"Good morning Rick to you as well. Meet my friend Amy and that's Eddy." he gritted both of them, then she asked, "No reservation for the court, I thought we'd make a lovely four playing each other."

"Nope no reserves surprisingly yet." he smiled a secret smile to her.

"Great again," Eddy muttered, "I'll play with Amy, against you too." Susan hoped Rick wouldn't guess the reason Eddy was so generous - as they both were in the school teams for badminton and tennis, Eddy thought that probably Rick wasn't that good in playing and thought of putting up with him and Amy if necessary but actually playing Susan.

"We'll start with your serve sweetie," said Eddy throwing the ball to Susan, she caught it with a blush. How much she has known Eddy, she still felt embarrassed by his attitude to her.

She served it diagonally to Amy, who missed it, but Eddy got the hit easily and passed it back to Susan with a beautiful hit. Susan hit the ball lightly letting it fly just a bit far than the net, Eddy passed it lightly back, Susan had a little time to react, but she managed to get it over the net. With more force Eddy hit the ball, which whizzed past Susan's head, letting Rick awkwardly hit it back to Eddy. The ball flew from one side to the other like that most hits directed by Susan or Eddy. Finally the rally finished with Susan scoring the point, or Amy letting the ball fly to the next court.

Rick picked the ball up, Susan saw a strange expression on his face, "are you alright?" She whispered to him when he passed the ball to her.

"I don't know," he whispered back, "he plays too good for me, I mean I don't want our team to be basing just on you."

"Don't worry, he's always a bit lame in the beginning that's why we scored easily, you just stand back for the first part, learn his and my tactics - how we hit the ball, like yesterday, when he heats up I'll need all you quickness and learnt skill to help me."

Susan served again, Eddy got it straight away letting it fly towards Rick, who didn't quite manage the proper tennis hit, but still passed it back other the net towards Amy, who stepped back letting Eddy hit the ball.

"Nice try," whispered Susan to Rick hitting the ball behind him.

In ten minutes Rick and Susan won two games, the second one was not that hard with Amy's poor serves. It was Rick's turn to serve and he did it finely, Eddy let the ball hit the ground once before passing it back to Rick with a hard hit. It was Rick's turn to perform a perfect tennis hit.

The lesson finished with Rick and Susan winning.

In the changing rooms Eddy shook Rick's hand saying he has to join their tennis team, Rick was astonished. Alright they won the game thanks for some miraculous miracle and of Amy's bad play. This boy who was playing against two, said he was good.

After school he played Susan, the sports hall was again only for two of them. And Susan was really tired in the end of their play. She smiled when they parted at the gates.

"Are you free tommorow evening? Amy can't make it with me and I already reserved the court in the sports centre in town."

"Yeah sure."

Strekoza: I hope you liked it R&R.


	9. The voice

**Chapter Nine**

Susan opened her e-mail box…

"Dear Well Wisher, what do you mean? How did you find out of the night world, who are you? And who is searching for me? I don't know what you're talking about. Night world isn't for humans like you, so keep out and don't interfere, I'm in much trouble without you, don't make it worse. V. Dark."

"Great," muttered Susan, "now I'm in trouble from all sides."

She got ready for her outing to sports centre…

… They played singles on one of the courts, he was getting awfully good and it took loads more from Susan than she ever dared to use of her willpower to win the games…

…_Who are you Well Wisher, _Susan heard in her head. She and Rick were taking a break, it was that voice she met in the back of the club.

…_WHO ARE YOU WELL WISHER … _Susan's hands began to sweat.

… _Go away you're not welcome here, it's my head not yours_… she answered to that voice in her head. Her body was limp against the seat, Rick went somewhere for refreshments, it could of easily be him in there, but she knew his voice wasn't ever that commanding, nor that cold.

_Am I not? You weren't welcomed in my conversation earlier, or you forgot_…

…_Isn't it much easier to forget who you are and just give up, just let the calming feeling fall over you_… the voice was calming, Susan began to relax, then his mind slipped lower into her thoughts her memories, he was trying to find out who she was.

**_NO…_** she screamed with all her mind power, his mind slipped back were it was before that.

_Why do you have to make everything much harder_… voice was considering, Susan began to erase herself… _tell me please which of these people are you? The girl playing against the wall, the one in the café drinking some juice, or are you one of the sitting ones._ _Oh don't be that horrible and don't erase yourself when I'm talking to you, I'm not going to eat you? _

His voice wasn't using its power only talking with her at the moment …_right now anyway._

Susan looked up to see Rick coming with a bottle towards her, she wasn't ready to play another game.

One of the possibilities was to tell him she was tired, yes that was a logical explanation… She stood up…

"Rick, I'm too tired to play another game, can we call it a day," her mind was thinking of what to do, her hand slipped through her hair as the mind told her to…

_Oh no_… her heart began to pound, what has she done, she heard a chuckled laugher in her head…

… _Oh thank you Well Wisher, that was all I wanted ,_ the voice left her behind, he knew and everything was lost.


	10. Vampire Dark

**Chapter Ten**

It was the next day after school, Susan was sitting in the I.T. classroom, teacher allowed her to use the computer, if she locked up afterwards.

She was swearing out loud as the computer was connecting her, unsuccessfully, to the internet. _Why do they always crash at inconvenient times_ was running through her head.

While she was at the sports centre, her lovely dad coming early from work and having his and mum's computer being repaired, he decided to use Susan's. You'd think he'll learn. So when he started going through his e-mail, he opened one with a virus in it - lovely. And now Susan's computer, as her parents was, on the repairing list.

Susan was hoping that Vampire Dark would help her in this battle against someone deadly. It would have been better if there wouldn't be any danger towards herself from him as well.

The computer's screen went black and her grey eyes stared back at her, not again, what was it with computer crashes.

The light turned off, her heart began to beat faster, it couldn't be a coincidence and she was already late.

A cold hand went along her face, touching her right ear. In response she wanted to take it off…

"No you don't," came a low voice, someone's arm slipped behind her back, around her body and gripping both her hands in its cold grasp, it took only a second. She wanted to resist, but she couldn't stand up, this person was keeping a hold over her whole body, pressing her against the chair.

"We need to talk… Well Wisher," the voice was emotionless, she couldn't remember who it was, she had so many enemies in these days. He was at her right side, so she tried to kick him off balance with her right foot, but this attack didn't go as planned as well. His leg infolded hers and she was glued to this chair permanently, to stop her next move the hand still stroking her cheek was now pressed against her mouth, to stop her for screaming for help.

_Let me go, **Now** _… it brought a surprise to the other person as he let her go.

"You can..." she was already getting out of the seat and beginning to turn on her attacker, who noticing that grabbed her from behind. In the struggle of fighting they both fell to the floor together.

"Can you keep still for one second at least," his voice was angry and quite next to her ear, she tried to pull herself from him, but only managed to hit him in the face with the side of her head. He pressed her against the floor and lips on her cheek began to speak again…

"Will you keep still, I'm not going to kill you," it helped his target as she stopped struggling, "I'm Vampire Dark and I have no idea how you managed to get yourself in all of this. In my world no one yet knows that I call myself that and without knowing it they asked me to take care of you for good. But I think we could help each other and well," she felt his lips smile against her skin, "when someone is telling me a person's name, I couldn't let the opportunity pass of not meeting you, Well Wisher." she smelled his after shave and he wasn't going to kill her, so why struggle … she relaxed.

"In the letter you asked me who were the people looking for you, I think they are the same people that are after me."

"Well that will help a little, you know as much as I want to introduce myself properly, if you'll know my identity they could find it in you mind later," he didn't move at all, only his lips were telling her.

_I know…_ it made his body stiffen …_I'm getting better at controlling it though, you know it was all you fault that I heard their thoughts the first time. Being around you gives me the power to see or hear. It started that first time when we danced… Rick_

He turned her face towards him, "how did you know?"

"The voice of your thoughts," but he wasn't listening to her, he was already kissing her passionately…

Strekoza: I hope that was unexpected, but probably most of you already guessed...


End file.
